IndieCade to Showcase Highly Innovative Videogames and Collection of Imaginative Game Artwork from Independent Games Development

LOS ANGELES July 10, 2008– IndieCade today announced it will highlight extraordinary work from the international independent game developer community at the E3 Media and Business Summit, July 15-17 in Los Angeles . This exhibition will represent the first U.S. preview selection of games submitted to the 2008 IndieCade festival.

Again this year, Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the E3 Business and Media Summit organizers, invited the IndieCade International Festivals of Independent Games to give the gathered insiders a view of the industry’s bustling creative fringes. At this exclusive invitation-only industry event, IndieCade will highlight the diversity in independent gamemaking with more than a dozen games exemplifying the creativity and breadth of vision that independent game designers incorporate into their work.

“It is important to challenge the industry with games that turn our idea of play inside out, that keep the fans engaged– and do it passionately, on small budgets, and in innovative ways. That is the point of this showcase and the work of IndieCade,” said Stephanie Barish, founder and president of IndieCade.

For this event, IndieCade selected games that would speak to the E3 audience, choosing from the more than 100 games submitted by independent gamemakers this year. Festival Director Sam Roberts states,“Game selections span the spectrum from casual games to those headed for mainstream publication, to ARGs, art games, and installations. We wanted to show work from the heart, work that conveys creative vision and work that bends and breaks gaming conventions. This is work that illustrates what games are capable of being.”

To complement the videogames, IndieCade will also feature high-resolution prints of artwork from eight independent games.“Capturing an instant of gameplay highlights both the visual artistry of the game in its own right, as well as its unique aesthetic vision in contrast with the standard fare,” explains Festival Chair Celia Pearce.“These prints illustrate the many ways that indie developers cut against the grain of commercial games, moving away from photorealism and out to the edges, with black-and-white video, nature, abstraction, simple old-school pixilated styles, and other aesthetic directions that are totally unique to the indie scene.”

IndieCade’s E3 Business and Media Summit Showcase follows this Spring’s first Asian IndieCade showcase in Hangzhou , China , for the CICAF animation festival’s audience of almost 500,000 people. Upcoming showcases and events include PAX in Seattle, E for All in Los Angeles , GameCity in the UK , as well as IndieCade’s flagship gallery exhibition at the Open Satellite in Bellevue , Washington , in October.

IndieCade supports independent game development and organizes a series of international festivals and showcase exhibitions for the future of independent games. It encourages, publicizes, and cultivates innovation and artistry in interactive media, helping to create a public perception of games as rich, diverse, artistic, and culturally significant. IndieCade’s events and related production and publication programs are designed to bring visibility to and facilitate the production of new works within the emerging independent game movement. Like the independent developer community itself, IndieCade’s focus is global; it includes producers in Asia, Europe, Australia , and wherever independent games are made and played. IndieCade was formed by Creative Media Collaborative, an alliance of industry producers and leaders founded in 2005. Advisors to IndieCade include Dave Perry, Will Wright, Eric Zimmerman, Neil Young, Tracy Fullerton, and Keita Takahashi among many other storied industry veterans and rebels. http://www.indiecade.com

Games Press is the leading online resource for games journalists. Used daily by magazines, newspapers, TV, radio, online media and retailers worldwide, it offers a vast, constantly updated archive of press releases and assets, and is the simplest and most cost-effective way for PR professionals to reach the widest possible audience. Registration for the site and the Games Press email digest is available, to the trade only, at www.gamespress.com.

Get the latest news sent to your inbox

Sign up to receive MCV's email news updates and access to other online products and services.

MCV is the leading trade news and community site for all professionals working within the UK and international video games market. It reaches everyone from store manager to CEO, covering the entire industry. MCV is published by NewBay Media, which specialises in entertainment, leisure and technology markets.